


Amelia and The Magic Slate

by April in Paris (April_in_Paris)



Series: Coopmelia [2]
Category: Coopmelia - Fandom, Shamy - Fandom, The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: Amelia & Cooper, Coopmelia, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-16 15:39:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7273960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/April_in_Paris/pseuds/April%20in%20Paris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which our protagonist is given a magic slate that contains all the world's knowledge - and secrets - and learns that wanting is very different from having. Sequel to Amelia and the Time Traveling Physicist. AU - COOPMELIA #2</p><p>Originally published on fanfiction.net on 5-5-2015.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**_AN: This short story is a sequel to_ Amelia and the Time Traveling Physicist _. The most obvious question is did "Amy" write this or did April in Paris? The honest answer is I don't know. This story was a struggle for me, and so there are parts I am not certain Amy would have written. With all of its faults in mind (including the title), I decided to post it and let you determine for yourselves. So, faults and all, I give you . . ._**

* * *

**Amelia and the Magic Slate**

* * *

For the first six nights, Amelia cried. During the day, it was overwhelming, yes, but there was magic to it. His house that wasn't a house, but rather part of a large building where others lived. Strange tights and skirts and sweaters called cardigans that his friend Penelope brought for her. Indoor plumbing and the steamy thrill of this thing called a shower. A magic slate, lit from behind, that held all the world's books if she wanted them; she read hungrily while Cooper repaired his time machine sitting in the corner of the crowded room. Lessons on a white chalkboard, mostly history, but also economics and other topics Cooper thought she needed to know.

Most nights, she fell asleep mentally exhausted in that strange, almost bare room next to Cooper's. He had apologized for its plainness, explaining that his friend Leo had moved out not that long ago, and it was all he had left behind; but Amelia liked how simple it was, it felt more like home. However, invariably, something woke her in the middle of the night, strange sounds that Cooper explained as sirens or air conditioning or a helicopter, and she found herself sobbing. Then Cooper would be there, coming from his own room in those strange plaid nightclothes he wore, his arms around her, holding her and smoothing her hair.

On the seventh day, Cooper did not help her cook the evening meal, smiling as she marveled over all the modern tools and machines that made cooking not a chore but a joy. Instead, he left her home alone, saying that he had errands to run. He brought home groceries, and a strange, flat box that contained something called pizza.

"Do you like it?" he asked with a smile, sitting opposite of her at the high table that was called an island.

Her mouth full of the delicious mixture of foods, Amelia nodded.

"Good. It's one of my favorites, too." Then he sat his piece down on his plate and took a deep breath, reaching into his pants pocket.

It was so thin and delicate, it didn't even made a sound when he set it down in front of her. Her heart pounded. She picked it up, trying to take care with it, and it made her chest hurt.

"Is this . . . is this meant to be . . ." she whispered, looking at the silver ring.

"It's a choice," Cooper said, quietly. "Either you can take it with you when I take you home. No one will ever know it's not the same one you had. Or you can . . . put it on. And stay here with me. Right now, it's just an object. It doesn't have any power. It is for you to choose, where you want to be bound. To your time or . . ." he shrugged.

To me. He had not said the words, but they hung in the air between them, nonetheless.

"I can go home?" Amelia asked.

Cooper's eyes shut at her words, and she said the ripple along his jaw. "Yes. I've been repairing my machine. I have reworked some equations and I think I can now accurately take you back to that afternoon. You'll be back before your parents arrive home, but after we left together. I'm sorry it you want to forget me, but I don't think's it possible. We cannot cross your own timeline to a time before we met."

"Oh, Cooper, I don't want to forget you."

He opened his eyes and looked at her intently. "But this choice is a final choice. Either I take you home and you stay there, with your memories of me, or you stay here and make new ones with me. I cannot . . ."

For the second time in a week, Amelia felt torn in a way she had not expected to be. "How long do I have?"

"I cannot give you a time frame. I will not rush you again. But," Cooper stood to gather the dirty plates, "at some point I have to go back to work. Really, I should go tomorrow. And perhaps it would be better for both of us to know what our past is, so we can put it behind us."

Amelia felt stupid and selfish at that moment. All she had thought about for the past week was herself: how skimpy the clothes were, how strange the air was, how it made her dizzy to look out the windows, how it conflicted her to be living with a man who was not her husband even though he'd not done more than chastely kiss her, how terrified she was wake up in the middle of the night. She looked at Cooper and saw that he looked different than he did on the prairie. Not just because he was wearing yet another strange shirt, but because he had dark circles under his eyes. It had never occurred to her where he got his money, why he was at home all day with her, that maybe he was lying awake at night waiting for her tears to start so he could come and try to sooth them away.

"If I stay, will we . . ." she whispered.

"Yes," he said. "I'm sorry it's not a romantic proposal, no holy palmers' kiss."

"If I go home, you'll never . . ."

"No. Never again."

She sat, looking down at the ring. Such a tiny object with so much meaning and weight.

"Amelia?" Cooper suddenly asked, breaking the silence, standing close to the edge of the island. "There's something else you need to know. Because I won't lie to you. If you stay . . . if we . . ." Amelia watched him blush and realized this was the first time she had ever seen that. Cooper had always seemed like such a strong man, a sure man. "I have been with another woman before. In the Biblical sense."

"You were married before? What happened?" Amelia blurted out, but then regretted it.

Cooper smiled softly. "No, I've never been married. Here it is common to be with someone without marriage. Leo and Penelope, for example, they are not married." Amelia raised her eyebrows. She had assumed they where, since they lived together across the hallway. "There is an annual festival here, called Comic-Con. You wear costumes. Last year, I went as Batman. And there was a woman there, dressed as Cat Woman. We struck up a conversation waiting for a panel and well . . . And there were a few times, after. She lives in L.A., too."

"Do you still . . ."

Cooper shook his head. "Not for a couple of months. And I promise you I will not see her again if you decide to stay. Not her, not anyone. Monogamy hasn't changed in 140 years."

He walked over to her and ran his fingertips down the side of her face. She felt the electric hum that only he had ever been able to bring to her. "I'm going to Leo's. We have something we have to do, somewhere we have to go. And I think it is best for you to be alone with your thoughts. I think I'll be out late. Penelope will be home if you need anything."

"But it's already late. And dark. Where are you going at night?"

Cooper smiled. "You will find there is always paperwork in the 21st-century. If you stay, there are some papers you will need. Leo and my friends have found a way to . . . procure them."

Amelia did not understand this statement. What paperwork could he possibly mean? But Cooper had already stepped away from her and was putting on his jacket. He opened the door and turned. "Goodnight, Amelia. Don't wait up for me."

She smiled at him as he left. Then her shoulders sank. Always when Cooper left - usually just to go across the hall - the foreignness of his house seemed to grow. Having Cooper at home, even if they weren't talking, rather just silently working on their own pursuits, was a great joy to her. She found his presence calming and peaceful.

Deciding it was late, Amelia stood and turned off the lights, flicking the switch an extra time to enjoy the wonder of instantaneous electricity. She walked down the hall to her own spare room and changed into her nightgown. The flannel nightgown was the only piece of clothing Penelope brought her that felt familiar. There was an extra chair in her room, and she pulled it over to the window. During the day, the height below her and of all of the buildings around her unnerved her, and looking down at traffic made her dizzy. But at night, if she only looked straight out, all the lights on the buildings seemed to twinkle, and it almost seemed like being lost among the stars.

Amelia curled up in the chair, tucking her feet into the gown. So many things were confusing to her here, in the future, and Cooper's revelation that she needed some sort of papers were just another example. If it was a simple matter of presenting herself at a clerk's office and signing some register, why wasn't she going, too? But it didn't seem to be that simple; Cooper had said that he and Leo had to figure out a way to procure the papers. Why the pause before the word procure, why not just buy or obtain? And why were they going at night? Suddenly, she gasped. Whatever Cooper was doing, it wasn't strictly legal. He was breaking the law for her. She sat back deeper into the chair with a frown.

Why was Cooper doing this if he was giving her a chance to leave? Was he so certain she would stay? Was she going to stay? Amelia bit her lip. She wanted to stay. But she wanted to leave. She missed her family, her animals, the prairie, all far more than she had expected. She hadn't even really thought about it, stepping into the time machine. It had all been so fast, and her heart was pounding wildly at the thought of an adventure at Cooper's side. Except now . . .

Except now it didn't seem like an adventure anymore. It seemed like she was in some sort of dream, and only in the middle of the night did her soul try to fight its way out. And what would happen to her when Cooper went back to work? Would she just stay at home all day, alone, and read? It sounded both pleasant and . . . monotonous. She missed the sunshine on her face, not just out a window. She missed having tasks to do, there was so little work here. She wanted to see the world, to explore it, but how would she ever accomplish that, stuck in these few rooms?

She had thought all that she wanted was Cooper's love. She had thought that would be enough to sustain her. And, at times, like when he smiled at her or patiently explained something to her it felt like enough. But there were the times she sobbed in his arms, and even his arms didn't feel strong enough to bury all her losses and fears forever. Most confusing of all were the times he kissed her or brushed her face. She felt like her whole body had been waiting for those moments, but they only made her hungry for more.

A tear was falling, and Amelia brushed it away. And now . . . And now Cooper was both telling her that he couldn't live like this any longer and that there had been another. She didn't know why that knowledge bothered her. Susan, her friend from school, had married a young widower, after all. It was not uncommon. And, of course, she couldn't judge. Even though she was alone in the dark, she thought of the way she had climbed into bed with him, half-way wanting him to touch her in that manner. But that was different, wasn't it, because Cooper was supposed to be hers, wasn't he? Why else would he have crash-landed on her farm if he wasn't fated for her, hers alone? Wasn't he her destiny? She had always felt she needed something greater than she had, and suddenly there was this handsome man to take her away. Hadn't his crash set into motion an inevitable and irresistible course of events? But . . . maybe he didn't believe in destiny. Maybe she was just another -

She heard footsteps in the hallway and jerked. How long had she been sitting there, watching the not-stars, lost in thought? And why did she only feel further away from an answer, more confused and adrift than she had felt in long time?

Amelia got up and walked to the door. She already knew the sound of his steps. He had stopped in the hallway, very close to her door, she thought. She wondered if he was listening to determine if she was crying. If she was, would he have come? She remembered how hurt she had been the last night on the prairie, when she realized he was already distancing himself from her, making the part so quickly, sleeping in a different bed, turning his back to her. But now she understood; if there was distance, if there was a barrier, it might hurt less to leave.

She heard a brush against the other side of the door, and she put her hand on wooden face of it. She stood by the door, her palm almost feeling his palm on the opposite side, wondering why it was so much easier to love someone than to promise to stay with them forever.

* * *

_**AN: Thank you in advance for your reviews!** _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

"This isn't my name," Amelia said with a frown, looking down at the little paper card awaiting her on the island. "What do these numbers mean?"

"It's your first name," Cooper said, between mouthfuls of cereal. "And if you stay, I presumed you would take my last name, because that's what you're used to. We'll change it."

Amelia picked up the larger sheet of paper, with a gold seal in the corner. "I wasn't born in 1990. I've never heard of these people, they can't be my parents."

Cooper sighed softly. "Did you really think anyone would believe that you were born 1867? A hundred and forty-eight years ago?"

"Oh, I suppose not," she mumbled. "But twenty-five? That makes me an old maid!"

She heard his catchy laugh, and she looked up just in time to see him get up and put his bowl in the dishwasher. "And to think Leo accused me of robbing the cradle!"

Although she hadn't heard this expression before, she quickly understood its meaning and smiled. It felt so easy again this morning, chatting, eating breakfast. Well, Cooper seemed a bit more rushed than normal, which she didn't understand, but most of the heaviness she felt at her bedroom door last night had lifted.

Cooper reached for his jacket.

"Are you leaving?" Amelia asked.

He looked up at her. "I told you I have to start going back to work."

"Oh," she said softly. "It's just that I get so . . . lonely without you here."

Cooper gave her a soft smile and walked closer to her. "I know. If you stay, I'll start giving you lessons to work on. And then, when you've passed the GED, you can go to classes."

Amelia liked it, the way he had all these plans for her, for them. In the bright morning sunlight, it felt hopeful to hear him start a sentence with "if you stay," not frightening like it did in the dark.

"Today, though," Cooper continued, "you can read. I uploaded a couple more books for you since you've read all the Willa Cather's. I was thinking maybe Edith Wharton. She's a little ahead of your time. More urban, too. But I think you'll like her. And I have a special treat for you."

"You do?" Amelia got up off her stool at the island to follow him.

"Remember when I explained movies to you? I've been waiting to turn on the television, I thought it might be too much. But there's a movie I think you'll love." He grinned at her. "Are you ready?"

Amelia nodded. The plain black picture frame sprang to life. She jumped slightly. "Oh, is it like my slate?" she asked, walking closer to it.

"It's very similar. I can explain the differences to you tonight. Ah, here we are.  _Shakespeare in Love_."

"Can I touch it?" she asked, turning around to look at Cooper.

"Yes, in theory, but if you get fingerprints on it I'll have to clean it." Amelia snapped her hands away from the light. Cooper liked things very clean. "Come over here, sit down. I'll show you what to do."

She got up and returned the couch, and sat down when Cooper motioned to her. "Okay, this is called a remote control. We'll press this arrow button to make it start. When you've finished, all you have to do is press this square. And then the red button up here to turn it off. Do you understand?"

Amelia took the offered remote control. "Now?"

Cooper nodded, and she pressed the arrow. The screen turned black again, and the words "London 1593" appeared. "So, I just read the words there? Like a book? Like my slate?"

"At first. Give it a minute."

And, just as promised, the screen lightened and shifted, and slowly the view of a rough timber structure rose from the bottom. "Ooohhhh!"

"See, just like I explained it. A moving picture, a moving story."

"Oh, it's a theater in the round. Our teacher told us about these!" She watched some more, awe-struck. Then she jumped when the action started. "Why are that man's boots over a fire? Why are they doing that?"

"It's okay, it's all pretend, just like a play. Just watch."

Amelia watched until she realized Cooper was staring at her. "What?"

"You're so excited. I like seeing it."

"Are you sure you won't stay? Don't you want to watch it, too?"

"No," Cooper shook his head. "I have to go. I've seen it before, several years ago." His hand brushed hers for the remote and he pushed a button, everything on the screen freezing. Then he ran the back of his hand along the edge of her face. "Seeing how happy you are, I want to stay. But I can't. And you need time to think. Promise me you'll think about what I said last night?"

Amelia nodded, stung that Cooper didn't realize she had sat up half the night thinking. Had he not felt the tension on the other side of the door? Not that she was any closer to an answer.

He kissed her gently on her temple. "Oh, Amelia . . ."

Then he shoved the remote back at her, got up quickly, grabbed his bag, and he was gone.

* * *

At first, Amelia drifted up slowly, but then her eyelids fluttered rapidly as she questioned where she was. 'Oh, yes,' she thought. 'Cooper's. I must have fallen asleep on the couch.' It was especially strange when she woke up, as all of her dreams were still dreams of home and the prairie. Once or twice Cooper was there, but mostly not; it was her old life, this life of her dreams.

Her stomach growled and her mouth felt parched. Amelia sat up and rubbed her eyes, which felt oddly thick. Then it all came flooding back to her. The movie,  _Shakespeare in Love_. She had sobbed and sobbed into the pillow Cooper kept in his spot. It was all so overwhelming; not just the magical movement on the screen, the soaring music, but the story had broken her heart. At first, she had believed theirs was love for all time; wasn't it the very inspiration for her beloved  _Romeo and Juliet_? And there were scenes, when they . . . well, that was not at all how Amelia imagined it. It had shocked her at first to see that, so cavalierly on screen. But she had watched anyway, unable to tear her eyes away. Surely if you let your body move and arch like that for someone else, it was because they were your destiny. But Viola and Will proved to be two more star-crossed lovers, two more lovers separated by a journey and time.

Thinking of time, she muttered, "What time is it?"

Time felt strange and unfixed here in the future; she was trapped inside, the open sky was no longer above her, there was so little activity to help her estimate the hours. She looked up at the clock in the kitchen and was surprised to find it was the middle of the afternoon. She must have been exhausted from staying up late in the night, from this ache in her heart. A heavy decision, one she knew she needed to make. Cooper was right, they could not maintain this constant state of unpredictability, it was wearing them down.

"After I eat," she said firmly. She went to the kitchen and put two leftover slices of pizza in the microwave. Only as she watched it turning slowly through the little window, did it occur to her how easily she had done that, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Yes, she needed to make a decision. If she changed too much, she would never fit back in at home.

The bell sounded and she sat down with her pizza. What did that fear mean? The fear of not fitting in at home anymore? Did it mean she shouldn't go back? Or did it mean it was calling to her? She didn't fit in here, in the future, either. Just two bites in, she had lost her appetite. She knew Cooper thought he was doing her a favor, giving her the choice again, giving her time to think about it properly, but all this thinking just made her head hurt and her chest ache.

Deciding she would read, just for a short while, just to clear her mind, she walked back toward the coffee table to pick up the magic slate. What was it Cooper called it? An iPad. What a strange name. She opened the cover and put in the code he had given her. 1867. The year someone named Marie Curie was born. Coincidently, the year she was born, too. They were the same age, Marie and Amelia. Marie would go on to change the world, Cooper had told her. But what would Amelia go on to do?

Just as she was about to press the only picture she understood, the picture of the little boy reading under a tree that said Kindle, the slate chimed in her hand and a small box appeared in the middle of the screen.

Amelia was confused. What was this? Was something wrong with it? And what did iMessage mean? She pressed on the box, hoping it would just go away. Touching things on this magic slate seemed to either make them start or make them go away. But instead a new screen opened, with gray and green boxes running down alternate sides. Amelia read, trying to determine what this was.

C: I need to see you. Today.

N: Brucie! It's been awhile! I thought you had forgotten how much this kitty likes to play.

C: I'm being serious.

N: So am I, Bruce. My back is already arching thinking of your pets.

C: In public.

Amelia's brow furrowed. Who was Bruce? And why was this Nicole-gray-box calling the green-box that had Cooper's name above it that? And why did she think he would be petting her like a cat?

N: I had no idea you were an exhibitionist! Do you want me to dance for your toy? Meow!

C: Today? Lunch?

N: Mmmmmm . . . maybe this kitty wants some cream for lunch.

C: Nicole. Answer the question.

N: You're so serious today, Bruce. Yes, lunch. It's been too long. This barn cat is in heat and can't wait for you Tom cat, you, to come and mate with me.

C: Our usual spot? 12:30?

N: Oh, we're mixing it up! Before instead of after! I'll be there with my bell on . . .

Amelia threw the Pad down with horror, as if it were burning her hands. She covered her silent scream, afraid maybe those two bites of pizza were not going to stay in her stomach. She ran to her room, wanting to be as far away from that horrible thing she had seen, throwing herself on the bed.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to block everything out, tried to make it disappear. She was so confused and hurt and angry. She didn't entirely understand everything she had read, but the next to last sentence had been very clear. She was familiar with the mating of barn cats. Was this Nicole the cat woman Cooper had spoken of, whatever that had meant? And it seemed that this Nicole woman was planning on mating with Cooper. Who was calling himself Bruce for some reason. Why? And all those other things she was saying, the ways she was comparing herself to a cat, did they relate to . . . the physical act of love, also? Was cat woman some sort of euphemism for a - a harlot?

Amelia put her hand to her chest and curled around it. He had told her it hadn't happened in several months. But apparently it had happened that very day. Maybe it was even happening at that very moment. He had lied to her, telling her both that he wasn't seeing this harlot anymore and also that he was going to work.

There were no tears. Perhaps she had spent them all on that movie. Perhaps she had spent them all every night when she woke up in fear. Perhaps she had spent them all on Cooper. Yet another thing he had taken from her that she could never get back: her home, her time, her wedding ring, her love. And he planned on taking her innocence from her! Maybe he had only refused her offer when they were lying in bed together in the log cabin because he wanted to take her here, where she couldn't run away. Her life was ruined.

She felt so used and stupid. He had said he loved her, but now she wasn't sure she could believe him. How could he love her and lie to her? Maybe she had been wrong ever since she had set eyes upon him. Maybe this thumping, beating, turning thing in her chest wasn't love, but doubt. After all, she hadn't even known him for two weeks yet. What had possessed her to run away with him after only 48 hours? Maybe she had loved John, after all. Maybe that's what love really was, the ease of knowing someone your entire life, growing up with him, just assuming you would grow old with him. Why was she even considering marrying this man she had known so briefly? Yes, she could not deny her feelings for Cooper were so much more intense than anything she had ever felt for John, but maybe she had mislabeled them from the very beginning.

"This isn't life. This is a stolen season." That's what Viola had said in the movie. Amelia sat up quickly. Maybe Viola could be correct, maybe she could still get her life back. This strange season was stolen, yes, but it didn't have to define her. She could still get her old life back.

Amelia got up and quickly removed the clothes Penelope had given her. It occurred to her as she was almost ripping them off that Cooper had probably paid for them. Just as he thought he could pay for her. She wouldn't fold them, she would leave them in a pile on the floor. Because Cooper hated messes. Well, she would leave a mess for him to clean up. It was only a small pittance for what she had paid. She took out her green calico dress, her boots, her white apron, and she put them on. She picked up her folio of Shakespeare.

Hugging the book to her chest, she went to the living room, looking around. She pulled his desk chair away from his desk and turned it to face the door. She sat down. She didn't know how long she would have to wait, but she was determined to be sitting there when he got home. She didn't want there to be any confusion, any misunderstanding about what she meant. Having barely sat down, though, and adjusting her posture to be as straight as it could be, she heard the keys in the lock.

"Amelia! I came home early, I thought you might be bored and-" he stopped in the doorway, the keys still in his hand. "Amelia? Why are you dressed like that? And sitting there?"

"I've decided," she said, willing her voice to remain even and steady, willing her eyes to give off a steely glare. "I want to go home. Forever."

* * *

_**Thank you in advance for your reviews!** _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Amelia saw him swallow. Then she saw the ripple along his jaw. It was a sign of his determination, a sign that he was not going to give into emotions. The knowledge that she understood that plucked at a spot behind her ribcage. She refused to shut her eyes as Cooper said softly, "Are you sure? Is that your decision?"

"Yes."

He nodded slowly and turned to shut the door with equal stillness. She already knew him well enough to know he was trying to gather himself. Another pluck. She ignored it.

"May I ask why?"

"Does it matter? You said it was my choice."

"Yes, it is, but . . ." he looked at her, and then she had to look away from his eyes, "don't you think I deserve an explanation?"

Amelia didn't answer.

"Please?"

"I saw your telegrams. With that - with that harlot. I know what you were doing today," she said sharply, looking back at him.

His brow furrowed. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought he was genuinely confused. "Telegrams? Harlot? What are you talking about?"

She pointed to the coffee table. "On your Pad-thing. They're all there, from this morning. You were making arrangements to meet your harlot after lunch."

Cooper ran his palm down his face. "I completely forgot that iMessage was active on the iPad. Amelia, I'm sorry -"

"Sorry that you forgot and I could see all of your . . . whatever you call them, instead of hiding them from me? Sorry I found out the truth?"

"Let me finish!" he yelled.

Amelia sucked in her breath, watching Cooper's face darken. He had never screamed at her before; he had been frustrated, yes, but never angry. She stared back at him, seeing a new side to him. Well, it seemed to be the day for that.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you. You've misunderstood. First of all, Nicole is not a harlot. She is an accountant, and she's actually very shy. What we did - notice the past tense - was not prostitution. Don't misunderstand me, it wasn't love, either. It was . . . just a thing we did for pleasure, because we both enjoyed it. I know that's hard for you to understand, but it's the truth."

Amelia lowered her eyes. She didn't know if this made her feel better or worse. But she knew she could no longer look at him.

"Secondly, we did not do that today. I was honest when I told you it has been a few months. Do you want the exact date? However, I felt I owed it to her to explain to her in person that it could never happen again. I know you don't understand this either, but we did nothing wrong. I was not going to treat Nicole like I thought she had done something wrong. She has actually been very . . . instructive to me. So, yes, she wrote some naughty things to me via text before we met because that is what we used to do. If you had paid attention while reading, instead of leaping to false conclusions, you would have seen that I said nothing inappropriate, nothing to imply that we would be physical. But I promise you we only met for a brief lunch and talked. That's it."

"I don't know if I can trust you," Amelia whispered. "I'm not even sure what your name is."

"What are you talking about now?" She heard the edge in his voice again.

"She kept calling you Bruce. But you told me your name is Cooper."

Cooper laughed then, but it was not the pleasant, catchy laugh she knew. It was deeper, harsher. "Bruce Wayne. It's the real name of the character I was playing when we met. Fine. Do you want details? I wore a costume and she wore a costume and we called each other names while we were physical, and it was fun, okay? Is that what you want to hear? That I enjoyed it? Because I did."

"Did Leo and Penelope know?"

"Yes. It wasn't a secret. It still isn't. What difference does that make?"

"Because they didn't seem surprised to meet me. Is that because they thought . . . I was wearing a costume, too?"

It was growl then, an actual growl. Cooper covered his face with his hands and then walked over to the time machine, resting in the corner by the window, his back to her. "They didn't seem surprised because I had already told them the truth. I asked them to be calm and polite and keep their mouths shut so they wouldn't scare you! But, trust me, they were surprised when I told them. They knew I had to bring something back, something to prove I had been to the past, some proof for my paper so I could win the Nobel Prize someday, but they didn't expect you, that's for sure."

Amelia yelped, dropping her folio. Cooper had told her about the Nobel Prize during their history lessons. It was his greatest wish, the thing he wanted most in the world. "Is that what this is all about? Am I just proof to you? Proof for your stupid prize?"

Cooper leaned against his machine then, his forearms resting on its silver skin, and put his head down. "I can't even dignify that with an answer right now." There was a pause, a haunting sound. "Did you ever think about what I'm thinking late at night? That I'm not able to sleep, waiting for you to wake up screaming and sobbing? You accuse me of things that you can't possibly understand, and I can't remain angry with you because it's all my fault. I should have never asked you come, never brought you here. It's too much for you. You're right: this is all a mistake, it's all my fault. I'll take you home, and then you can forget all about it. Maybe, in time, I'll forget the guilt, too."

As he had been speaking, his voice had calmed and quieted. It became more measured and deliberate. Then, it sounded like every word was a heavy effort. "Please go to your room. Leave me alone. I'll take you home in the morning, after I've checked the calculations again and tried to get some sleep. I can't concentrate right now. I know you don't believe me, but I love you too much to take you back to the wrong time."

Then quietly, softly, calmly, which was the worst of all, "Please just go."

* * *

_With a heavy heart, Amelia stood before the newly repaired time machine. She regretted giving Cooper the part he needed. As Cooper prepared to depart, tears finally filled Amelia's eyes._

_He turned at last, and he took her hand in his and said, "I can't stay, but I will never forget you."_

_He brushed his fingers against her cheek and quickly stepped into the machine._

_"Please don't go," she whispered. But it was too late. The engine hummed to life. She turned away, wiping her eyes. She couldn't bear to watch her one chance for true love disappear forever._

_Then, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder spin her around. It was Cooper._

_"What about the future?" asked Amelia._

_He looked deeply into her eyes and whispered, "There is no future without you."_

_He pulled her in close. She began to tremble all over. She felt his warm breath on her ear. "I'm so sorry, Amelia. Even though my future is bleak without you, I cannot take you with me. You could not survive there, you would not be happy there. Everything you know and love is here. I just need to go."_

_Suddenly, he pushed her away and went to his time machine. He put one foot inside, and the other remained on the ground. The sound of the machine was even louder, and it seemed to be shimmering, the edges becoming hazy and indistinct. She put her hand out to his, longing to feel the electricity of his touch again. But he didn't reach out for her. Instead, he yelled over the noise, drawing his foot in, "I'll look for your name in the history books."_

_The silver machine shuddered and vanished, leaving only Amelia shivering in its wake. She collapsed onto the prairie and sobbed. Cooper was wrong. The thing she loved most of all was not here, on this farm. It had just gotten into a time machine and left her behind forever. She wailed at the top of her lungs as the tears came pouring down her face._

"Shhhh, shhhhhhhhh."

She awoke to Cooper's strong arms around her, her cheek pressed to his plaid pajamas as he rocked with her. He said, stroking her hair, "It will be okay, it will be okay."

And, for the first time, his arms felt strong enough to bury all her losses and fears.

"I thought you'd left me behind," she cried.

"I thought that's what you wanted," he whispered.

"I was wrong. I was wrong. I want you, Cooper, I want to stay here with you."

"Please be very sure before you say that to me. I could not bear it if you changed your mind." Then his voice broke. "It might kill me."

Amelia lifted her head up and saw that his own eyes were shiny with tears. "I mean it. I've never meant anything more. I'm so sorry. I was being rash and foolhardy. I do believe you. You have every right to be angry with me, I didn't understand what I was seeing and I just assumed the worst of you. I want to stay here, with you. Forever. If you'll still have me. Please don't leave me behind. I don't even care if you need me for your Nobel Prize."

"Oh, Amelia," Cooper choked, and then a tear did fall down his cheek. "Don't you understand? You are the only prize I'll ever need."

* * *

**_Thank you in advance for your reviews!_ **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

For the first time, she awoke wrapped in his arms.

At first, before her eyes were even open, she was startled by the heat and confinement. But once she opened her eyes and saw his sleeping face, all of her fears dissipated. Yes, she had made the right decision after all.

Amelia tried to shift slightly, one of her arms feeling like it was still asleep, when Cooper murmured something and then opened his own eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, Amelia wondering what he was thinking, if he, too, was remembering all of the events of the night before. How he had held her, once again, while she sobbed, but this time it was different. How he had stayed in her bed, not leaving once her tears had quieted, how they had laid so close and talked for what felt like hours. She had told him her needs, that if she stayed she could not stay trapped inside all day, she needed fresh air, and she longed to ride a horse again. They talked honestly about their hopes and dreams and wishes and fears, the first time since she had returned that they had talked like that. It was like when they were on the prairie again, a meeting of the minds, their topics as wide and as free as the open sky, no judgements, no expectations.

He smiled. "Good morning."

She smiled back. "Good morning."

Cooper reached up and ran his hand along her face, before pulling her head in closer. His lips touched hers, and she melted into them. Gradually, he pressed harder, and then she felt the thrill of his tongue running along her lips. Just as he had on the prairie, before they both stepped into the time machine. Amelia opened her mouth, just as she had before, to receive the aura he was giving to her. But instead of his breath, she felt his tongue invade her mouth. Her eyes popped opened, but Cooper held her head firmly. Then, slowly, he started to caress her own tongue with his. Amelia stopped fighting. Whatever this strange form of kissing was, it was running through her entire body. How was it that every time he touched her in some new, unexpected fashion the sensation was even more intense than the time before?

Suddenly he pulled away. "Sorry. I need to stop." He paused and looked at her deeply. "Please tell me it wasn't all a dream. Please tell me you really are staying."

"I am." She bit her lip and looked down at his plaid-covered shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Cooper. I suppose I just needed to recognize that wanting isn't the same thing as having."

"Spock said something similar once."

"Who is Spock? A friend of yours?"

Cooper smiled. "In a fashion. He's a very wise man. I'll introduce you some day. And no more apologizes. I've learned a lesson, too: I should just tell you the truth and trust you'll tell me when you don't understand it." Then he pulled away enough to stretch his long arms. "I guess we should get up and eat breakfast. I don't know how long the line at city hall will be, but we don't want to be at the end of it."

"What is city hall? And why are we going there?"

"You're staying here, so we're getting married. That was the plan," he said, raising his eyebrows.

Amelia sat up. "Today? Just like that? And at city hall? And what is that? I've never heard a church called that before."

"No, it's a municipal building, like a courthouse. Oh." Cooper's eyebrows dipped. "I don't go to church, Amelia. No, that's not true, I go once a year as part of a contractual obligation. Is a church wedding essential to you?"

"I don't know. I guess I just assumed that's where everyone got married. I've never heard of something else. And why don't you go to church?"

"Because I believe in the power of science, not superstition. Why do you go to church? I have to admit the Amelia who washed and dried a naked stranger did not seem like a religious woman to me."

Amelia blushed, remembering how she both thought it was a sin and found sin exciting. "Because - because that's what you do on Sundays."

He took her hand. "If you want to go to church on Sundays, I won't stop you. If you want a church wedding, if it's important to you, we'll find one."

"I guess I just want it to be sacred." She shrugged. Why did she go to church? No one she knew had ever questioned that before.

"Sacred?" Cooper's eyebrows went up again.

"Yes, don't you think it should be sacred? It's the most important day of our lives, the most solemn thing we will ever do."

Cooper smiled at her. "Okay, sacred it is. A sacred place. But it doesn't have to be a church? Or a minister? Leo got ordained on the Internet for our friend Herman's wedding."

Amelia tilted her head and thought for a moment. "No, it doesn't have to a be a church. And Leo is fine. Is there somewhere that is sacred to you?"

"I have some ideas. I'll need a few days to work out the details. You don't mind waiting?"

She smiled and lay back down next to him, never letting go of his hand. "We've waited 140 years already."

* * *

The whole experience was dizzying. After their deep conversation in the night, Cooper had taken walks with her every day for the past two days, getting her used to the outdoors, the sounds of traffic, the bustle of the sidewalks, the endless rows of windows, full of countless goods to purchase.

But nothing had prepared Amelia to get into that machine called a car with Penelope and traveling at terrifying speeds. Only to land in Oz. But instead of the emerald city from the movie she watched with Cooper the night before, it was a white city. White and ivory, lace and sparkles. Penelope kept picking dresses up, making suggestions, but just the thought of putting on something so fancy, so expensive, something more fit for Queen Victoria or one of her daughters made Amelia's throat close up.

"Amelia, you have to pick something. The wedding is tomorrow. Cooper said the sky's the limit, whatever you want. I know these ready-to-wear dresses aren't as fancy as the ones you order, but we don't time for that."

All she could do was shake her head. She couldn't even imagine a fancier dress. She couldn't be so selfish. Her family could live for a year or more on the money these dresses cost. She wondered away from the finery, drawn to the brighter colors across the store. And there it was, on a mannequin.

"A bridesmaid's dress?" Penelope said behind her.

"It reminds me of spring. It's the color of wildflowers. It's so beautiful," Amelia said. She took another step closer and touched the lavender eyelet.

"But it's so plain. I'm not even sure it's a bridesmaid dress. It's really just a dress for a shower or something," Penelope protested.

"Please? Can we try this one?" Amelia asked, not even caring why one would buy a dress just to get wet.

Penelope smiled at her. "Sure. I'm under strict instructions. Whatever you want."

Amelia had never worn anything so fine, so soft against her skin. She couldn't believe it was her looking back from the mirror.

"I have to admit that color really makes your eyes look green. It needs a sash or something, but it's very pretty," Penelope said. "So, is it the one?"

"It doesn't have sleeves," Amelia said with a frown, looking at the beautiful blonde friend of Cooper's through the mirror. It was so close to perfect, why couldn't it be perfect?

"We'll get a cardigan or a wrap or something. Wait here." Penelope disappeared, leaving Amelia to run her hands down the front of the dress. She wanted it so badly, and she felt guilty for wanting something so expensive. But maybe she could wear this again, she'd have to ask Penelope. And, after all, didn't she have a brand new wool suit that she and her mother had sewed together for weeks, based on one of the newest patterns they had seen in the Sear and Roebuck catalogue? A wool wedding suit. Sensible and suitable. And predictable.

"Got it!" Penny called, coming back with her arms full. "It's more purple than lavender, but there's a matching sash. Let's see."

After putting on the cardigan and tying the sash, Penelope put her hands on Amelia shoulders, and they looked together at the reflection. Amelia whispered, "It's the one."

Penelope nodded. "Okay, let's take it off and have them pack it for us. We have something else to buy. This is a surprise for Cooper."

Intrigued, Amelia complied and, back in her regular but still strange clothes, she followed Penelope down the stairs to another level. She stopped dead in her tracks on the bottom step. "Penelope?"

"Lingerie, sweetie."

"Women wear this? One would be practically naked!"

"That's the point. You've got to get out of granny panties sometime. Come on."

Amelia tried to not even look at all the strange things they are passing. She ignored Penelope's comments. She most certainly would never wear something like this. And what were granny panties?

"Okay, how about this?" Penelope sighed. Amelia did glance up and was relieved to see a plain white nightgown. It was shorter than she would have preferred, with no sleeves, but it was simple. And the pink flowers at the top reminded her of the one she had made with her mother.

"I guess that would be okay," she said, not wanting to frustrate Penelope further. She really had been so kind.

"Good, let's find your size." Penelope sifted through the rack until she pulled one out. "Got it!"

"Never mind. You can see right through it!" Amelia protested.

"Again, that's the point," Penelope laughed. Then her face became serious. She leaned closer. "Amelia, have you have, uh, touched Cooper? Or, well, any man?"

Amelia's face flushed. "We kiss."

"Okay, good."

"And he put his tongue in my mouth," Amelia said with emphasis. She hoped her voice did not betray her surprise when Cooper had done that, how shocked she had been at first, but then how excited it made her feel.

"I should hope so." Penelope seemed unimpressed. "So I take it you two haven't discovered an even better place for his tongue yet."

"What?"

Penelope raised her eyebrows, and then grabbed Amelia's hand and pulled her into another set of those little dressing rooms. Without letting go, she quickly ran between the six rooms, pushing each door open. Then she pushed Amelia into one and shut the door, sitting on the bench with her.

"Sweetie, do you know about sex?" she whispered.

"Sex?" Amelia whispered back, her face burning.

"Oh dear, I knew you were naive but . . . Making love? The wedding night as it used to be called?"

Amelia was not used to being the person in the room who knew the least. "Of course I know about the wedding night. My mother told me once."

"So, how detailed did she get?"

"Um, she said . . " and then Amelia whispered what her mother had told her.

Penelope tilted her head. "Well, that's the most concise explanation I've ever heard."

"She also said occasionally it may feel good, like waves." Then Amelia frowned. "But she said the first time is painful."

"Only occasionally?" Penelope rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Listen, sweetie. If you want, I'll tell you everything. Later, at home, over some wine, not hiding in a dressing room."

Amelia nodded, self-conscious that she lacking in this knowledge, that Penelope felt she was so uninformed and childish.

"Did you hear about our argument?" Amelia said quietly.

Penelope nodded. "Cooper told Leo the gist of it."

"Penelope . . . do you think Cooper will be disappointed in me? Because I'm not . . ." Amelia took a deep breath. "I watched a movie,  _Shakespeare in Love_ , and it was . . . different than I thought it would be. When we were in Kansas, he told me once that physical love is more . . . inventive now. And he said, when we were fighting, that he likes . . . to wear costumes."

Amelia had never seen a face quite like Penelope's before, with her eyebrows so high and her mouth screwed up so tight. "Cooper, Cooper, you sly dog . . . " she mumbled before raising her voice, "Listen, sweetie, don't be frightened. It's never like the movies. And Cooper may be the strangest man I know, but he's a good guy. He knows that you're inexperienced. He's crazy about you. All that matters in the long run is that you love each other, that's what makes it the best."

"Is it bad that we fought?"

"Of course not. Didn't your parents ever fight?"

Now that Penelope mentioned it, she had heard sharp words between her parents before. They tried to hide them, but sometimes she heard them out in the barn or after she was supposed to be asleep. "I guess so."

"You'll fight again. It happens. But what matters more is how you make up, that you're honest with each other."

Amelia nodded. It was true that she had never felt closer to Cooper than she had when they were curled up together, her head on his chest, just talking the night away. Nothing had been left unsaid, they had shared everything. Perhaps they would have never talked like that if they hadn't fought first. Not that she wanted to make a habit of it; she would tell him that, too, later. That they should talk like that more often, without a fight first.

"Come on, let's go pay for our stuff, and then I'm taking you to get a mani-pedi. And we are definitely getting this nightie," Penelope said.

"What's a mani-pedi?"

"It's fabulous. The scrub your hands and feet and make them all soft and then put whatever color of polish you want on them. And, then, on the way home, we're stopping by the pharmacy to buy you a razor so you can shave your legs."

"Shave my legs? Why would I ever do that?"

Penelope laughed. "Oh, sweetie. Cooper may have fallen in love with these adorable braids - " she flipped one of Amelia's braids playfully "- but believe me when I tell you he did not fall in love with those legs."

* * *

"Okay, last step. Open your mouth a little." Amelia parted her lips and watch Penelope's face floating in front of her, as she applied something sticky to her lips. The she stood back up and smiled. "There. You look gorgeous."

Amelia smiled softly but felt very strange. "Can I go to the bathroom?"

"Sure. Look in the mirror, you don't even look like the same person," Penelope said.

Not sure if that was a good thing, Amelia walked to the bathroom and closed the door. She walked over to the mirror and gasped. The woman - and it was a woman - who looked back at her looked nothing like the face she knew as her own.

The top of the lavender dress was just as pretty as she remembered, but her hair looked so different put up on top of her head. Her mother was always telling her she should be wearing her hair up now that she was a woman, and certainly once she was married it would be expected, but Amelia had always preferred the ease of her braids. And her face! It was so strange. It did look smoother and her eyelashes looked darker and her lips gave off a pleasing shimmer, but . . . It was bad enough she had agreed to wear these sheer tights called pantyhose, with her ankles and newly hairless calves on display for the whole world to gawk, but the face was just too much. She felt like someone else, not the Amelia that Cooper had met. She knew change was inevitable, especially here in the future, but she did not want to lose herself, her roots, where she had come from.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the faucet on. She scrubbed her face, and she then she took down her hair. She brushed it and managed to plait it, even though it was stiff from whatever Penelope had put in it. She smiled at the reflection. Yes, this was Amelia.

"I'm sorry, Penelope, don't be mad," she said softly, when she opened the door and walked toward her new friend.

Penelope looked up from her own miniature magic slate, raised her eyebrows for a minute but then smiled. "You know what? It's perfect."

"Do you think Cooper will mind?" Amelia asked.

"No, because he's Cooper. And, besides -" Penelope flicked one of her braids playfully just as she had the day before, when they had gone shopping - "I'm pretty sure he loves the braids. Now come on, let's go get you married to your time traveling physicist!"

* * *

_**Thank you in advance for your reviews!** _


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

It looked like a castle from a fairytale, perched on the hill, the walls white and gleaming in the evening sun, capped by three brown domes.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Amelia said, getting out of Penelope's car. "But Cooper told me he didn't go to church."

"It's not a church," Penelope said. "It's the Griffith Observatory. It's sort of museum, but there are telescopes and other stuff, all about the stars. Cooper rented a room. But I can't tell you anything else, it's a surprise." She hooked her arm through Amelia's and guided her toward the building.

Amelia had never been in such a grand space before. In the center of the dome was a large swinging weight. "Is that a pendulum? I've only heard of them, but I've never seen one."

"Beats me," Penelope said. "Come one, we'll be late. You know Cooper hates that that."

Knowing she was right, Amelia allowed herself to be lead away from Galileo's discovery and into the strangest room she had seen yet. All of the empty chairs were arranged in a circle, and the only source of light was a soft white glow from the ceiling. Cooper stood in the middle, with Leo.

Amelia looked at him and smiled, not even noticing that Penelope had let go of her and she was walking to him on her own accord. He had changed, he was no longer wearing his usual shirts, the clothes he had on when he left the apartment in the morning; instead, he had put on a gray suit.

"Hello," Amelia said, feeling shy for no explainable reason, "you look handsome."

He smiled back, a smile so beautiful Amelia thought she would cry. "You are beautiful. Here, these are for you." He held out a small cluster of wildflowers tied with a wide ribbon. "You seem like a wildflower kind of girl."

Amelia nodded, too touched to speak. They matched her dress perfectly.

"Technically, you can't rent the planetarium for personal events. We used our Caltech credentials to get a half-hour of time. We may have misled them on some details," Cooper explained.

"What's a planetarium?" Amelia asked, feeling more sure of herself now. She was also thrilled to marrying this handsome man, not only a brilliant scientist, but also a rogue and an outlaw.

"This," and then Cooper waved his arms. Amelia noticed three people standing in the dim light along the edge of the room, two men, both with dark hair and one with dark skin, and a petite woman with blond hair. These must be the other friends of Cooper's that he had told her about. Before she could ask about their presence, the ceiling darkened and changed. It was full of stars, what seemed to be thousands of them.

"Oh!" she cried out.

"Do you know what this is?" Cooper asked.

Amelia shook her head, tilting it back to see the brightest, most beautiful stars.

"It's the early morning sky over Independence, Kansas on November 3, 1886. You said we should be married somewhere sacred."

It was no use trying to prevent the tears from falling now. They coursed down her cheeks as she looked back at Cooper. "The morning we met." Both two weeks ago and a lifetime ago.

Cooper nodded and put his hand out for her. She took it, feeling the pulse of electricity, the same one that had not dimmed from the way it felt that day on the prairie. They turned together to face Leo.

"Cooper and Amelia. I was so honored when Cooper asked me to join you in the bond of matrimony. I tried to think of several suitable openings for such an important occasion, but Cooper disapproved of all of them -"

"Because they were lame," Cooper interrupted.

" -so at last I decided to let Cooper do the talking, because hearing himself talk is what he does best," Leo continued.

Amelia turned to look at Cooper, her heart thundering. What did he want to say? This wasn't at all like any marriage ceremony she'd ever witnessed.

"Amelia," Cooper said with a deep breath. "I have never believed in destiny, mostly because of the lack of scientific proof. But from the day I crash-landed on your farm, I felt like I was fated for you. I had always felt I needed something greater than I had, and suddenly there was this curious young woman. I realized it was just the beginning of an inevitable and irresistible course of events. You are my destiny, you are the something greater. Now, whenever I may be in time, I want it to be with you."

Tears were falling rapidly from Amelia's eyes, but she didn't dare let go of Cooper's hand to wipe them away. She let them roll off of her face onto her new dress.

Leo spoke, "Amelia, I know we didn't give you a warning to prepare anything, so I have the traditional wedding vows here if you would like to repeat them."

She shook her head. "No, I will speak." Amelia took a deep breath to calm her herself. "'Let me not to the marriage of true minds  
Admit impediments. Love is not love  
Which alters when it alteration finds,  
Or bends with the remover to remove:  
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark  
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;  
It is the star to every wandering bark,  
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.  
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks  
Within his bending sickle's compass come:  
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,  
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.  
If this be error and upon me proved,  
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.'"

Cooper reached up and wiped a tear away from her face. "Not  _Romeo and Juliet_?"

"No. Not anymore."

Leo cleared his throat, and they snapped back to the present. "There are rings?"

"Yes," Cooper said, letting go of her hand to reach into his breast pocket. He reached for Amelia's hand and slipped the thin, silver band onto her finger. Then he handed her a larger matching ring.

Amelia raised her eyebrows in surprise but took it. Why was he giving her this ring? When he flattened his left hand and held it out to her, she understood. This ring was meant for him. How strange. She had never seen a man wearing a wedding ring before. But she quite liked the idea, the outward symbol to the world that he was hers, just as she was his. She took the ring, and slowly slid it down one of his beautiful, long fingers.

"You may kiss your bride," Leo said with smile.

Cooper leaned in and gave her a gentle, warm kiss. They smiled at each other as they parted.

"By the power invested in me by the Internet and the state of California, I pronounce you husband and wife."

Penelope cheered and applauded, as did the strangers she had not yet met, and Cooper leaned into give her another kiss, longer this time, before resting his forehead on hers. "I love you so much, Amelia."

"I love you, too."

* * *

"And you go there once a week?" Amelia asked as Cooper unlocked the door.

"Every Tuesday," he answered, pushing the door open, and then turning to her. "Are you sure The Cheesecake Factory was good enough? It wasn't too scary, with all my friends there?"

"Oh, I loved it! Everyone was so nice. And the cheesecake, I'd never heard - Whmmmph." Amelia was suddenly hoisted up by Cooper. "What are you doing?"

"Carrying you across the threshold." He walked into the apartment with her. "It's either to prevent you from appearing too eager to lose your virginity or for good luck or to prevent a dead spirit from entering your body through the soles of your feet. It's a medieval custom, I'm sure you've heard of it."

"Yes. But I thought you didn't believe in superstitions," Amelia said as he put her down.

Cooper shrugged. "It's better to be safe than sorry."

Amelia smiled as Cooper turned to shut the door. He came back to her and put his hands on her waist. "Welcome home." Her smile broadened. "I have a gift for you."

"A gift?"

"Yes." Cooper let her go and went to his desk, opening the top drawer and removing an envelope. He held it out.

Amelia raised her eyebrows and took it. There was a logo in the corner. "What's this?"

"Open it," Cooper replied, grinning. Amelia opened it and read the words on the stiff paper inside.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" she asked.

"If you think it means weekly riding lessons, you're right. I know it's the not the same as having your own horse, but -"

Not letting him finish, Amelia rushed at him, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, I love it!"

She reached up for his lapels and pulled him down to her lips, kissing him eagerly. And then it turned deeper, hungrier, Cooper's hands snaking up her back, beneath her cardigan. She hated to break away, she hated that she needed to breathe.

Cooped licked his lips. "Uh, well . . . you'll probably want to change your clothes. Or something."

"Okay," Amelia said. She took off her cardigan and turned around. "Will you unzip it? I'm not sure how to work a zipper on my back yet."

Cooper chuckled. "It's easy. You just reach around -" she felt his hand at her neck "- and pull down." A rush of cooler air hit Amelia's back. And then she felt his fingertip, like a hot point of flesh, start to run slowly down from her neck, tracing her spine. Her whole body shivered and, when she involuntarily closed her eyes, her vision seemed to scintillate on the edges. Stopping and resting his entire palm on the small of her back, Cooper leaned over her and whispered in her ear. "Tonight?"

She nodded, her heart thrashing violently.

"Go ahead, get ready. I'll come in in a few minutes."

Amelia almost ran away from him, not looking back. She slammed the bedroom door shut behind her. She felt so overwhelmed. The things she had seen in that movie, the things her mother had told her, the feel of Cooper's fingertip creeping down her back. Shivering once more, she stepped out of the dress. She hung it up carefully, and when she was doing so, the light caught her new silver wedding ring. She smiled softly.

Trusting something Penelope did say, she removed all of her undergarments and slid the new nightgown over her shoulders. It floated away from her skin. She looked down and was shocked at how much was not hidden by this sheer fabric, how the tops of her breasts peeked out above the pink flowers. It didn't seem to make any sense, not covering something but just slightly obscuring it. But Penelope said that's what men liked. Amelia blushed thinking of her bath on the prairie, with Cooper in the loft above. She wondered again if he had spied on her between the floorboards. Maybe all of this show was unnecessary.

She crawled into bed. She almost wished he was there already, like he had been the night before he left. She could have rolled away from him again, and let him decide what to do next. Somehow it seemed easier to lie next to him in her undergarments when she didn't really understand everything that could happen. Maybe she shouldn't have talked to Penelope. Not that she had said much, saying that she had decided it might be better if Amelia just discovered some of it on her own, with Cooper. She had answered a few direct questions, including confirming the things Cooper told her about birth control. Bur, in the end, she had just told Amelia that it would be her entire body, not just the parts her mother had told her, to let Cooper touch her everywhere, with his hands and his mouth. "You won't regret it," she had said with a wink.

There was a knock at the door. "Amelia?"

"Come in," she called, pulling the blankets up higher.

Cooper entered the room and smiled at her. He was carrying his suit jacket and tie, and he hung those up. He untucked his shirt and started to unbutton it. It was only then that Amelia realized he was going undress in front of her. She turned her head away.

"You can watch," he said softly. She turned back. The shirt was gone, put in the hamper. Then his white undershirt, revealing his broad shoulders and muscular arms. He kicked off his shoes and steadied himself on the edge of the closet door to remove his socks. There was the jangling of his belt and then he pulled it loose. The whoosh of his pants, and when he bent down to pick them up, Amelia could make out the form of his posterior through his Underoos. 'Maybe this show really is a good thing,' she thought. Quicker than she expected, he had hooked his thumbs on the waistband, and they were gone, too. Cooper turned toward her, and she gasped and squeezed her eyes shut.

"You've seen it before," he said, lifting the blankets and sliding in next to her.

Amelia opened her eyes, looking at the ceiling. "But it didn't look like that."

He chuckled softly. "Miraculously." Then there was a pause before his hand brushed her face, gently turning it toward him. His face had changed, a little wrinkle between his brows. "I thought you knew. I didn't think it would be a surprise to you. When you were in the bath, you certainly seemed to understand. And when you got in bed with me, I thought . . ."

Feeling her face burn, Amelia tried to smile, trying to both reassure Cooper and herself. "I do know. I know what's going to happen. I just - I think I was pretending to be brave when I got in bed. I thought that you wanted that. That if you had that you wouldn't get in your time machine."

"Oh, Amelia." His lips brushed against hers, the barest hint of a kiss. "Do you understand now? That's exactly why I couldn't?"

"Yes," Amelia whispered.

"But you're right," Cooper answered, gently kissing her cheek, then her temple. "I did want you. Almost as much as I want you right now." His kissed her earlobe, and then, without warning, Amelia felt a surge course through her as Cooper's mouth surrounded it, his tongue swirling.

"Hoooooot." Her back arched and she could feel Cooper's lips turn up in a smile, the little sound he gave out, even though he didn't stop what he was doing. His hand, which had been holding her cheek, started to meander slowly down her neck, slipping under the very edge of blankets, resting on the bare skin of her chest, just above the scandalously low neckline of the flimsy nightgown.

He stopped. "You're trembling."

Amelia didn't know if she was trembling from fear or desire or a mixture of both. The feel of his breath in her ear, his hot palm on her décolletage, goose bumps rising on her flesh, the pulsing deep within her. It felt so overwhelming, and all of these sensations were only heightened by his declaration of his craving for her. She was craving him, too, in every sense of the word. She had been craving him for as long as she could remember, long before she knew him.

She turned her head to gaze upon his beautiful porcelain skin. "I want you, too. Then. And now. I'm just - it's overwhelming."

"Amelia," he whispered softly, his lips barely grazing hers once more, "please don't be frightened. I love you, and I only want to make you feel good. Let yourself be overwhelmed. I want you to think of the place you love the most on Earth, a place where time feels meaningless. I want to you shut your eyes and think of that place. And then I want to take you there. Just me, just us, no time machine. I want to be there with you. Will you let me take you there?"

Her heart ached at the palpable love in his voice. She looked into his beautiful blue eyes and knew, as she had known for so long, that she was never safer than with him. Amelia nodded and closed her eyes. She felt his soft, nimble hand slip slowly beneath the neckline of her nightgown. She exhaled softly and thought of the place she loved the most.

Then the cool earth was beneath her back. Everything smelled new and fresh. The sun was on her face, and she smiled up at the sun on Cooper's. A gentle spring breeze tickled their bodies, and there were goosebumps on her skin. The spring wildflowers swayed and danced in time with her breath, and the birds sang a beautiful song along with her. There were the gentle hills and plains and furrows, and they undulated and dipped and rolled. There were waves of green, and she was borne aloft upon them. There was Cooper and there was her and there was the prairie, and time was as boundless and endless as the sea of grasses around them.

THE END

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**_The adventure continues in_ Amelia and the Bareback Rider _. . ._**

**_Thank you in advance for your reviews. Coopmelia forever!_ **


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